Burying places we met with at regular intervals, for we could easily
tell what they were from the ends of the square box coffins peeping out
of the soil that only half covered them, while the bones of the departed
frequently covered the earthy track our conductors traversed, which it
would have been a vile libel to have called a road.
Occasionally, we came near a collection of huts, with conical roofs
resembling the form of the extinguisher usually employed in connection
with a bedroom candlestick.
"Yellow hat," however, would not allow the palanquin bearers to stop at
any of these villages, as I supposed the huts represented, our
procession not coming to a halt until late in the afternoon; when, on
arriving at a place which, in addition to these huts had a pagoda or
josshouse, the old rascal grunted a little louder than usual to our
bearers and they set down our cages in front of a card-house of the same
description as that at Tientsin where we had been so nicely "taken in
and done for," as Macan would have expressed it in his Irish vernacular.
The gags were then dragged, in no very gentle way, from our mouths, and
our hands and feet untied, and the leader of the party, in a more
pig-like squeak than ever, ordered us to come out of our very
uncomfortable quarters.
We thought he meant this at least, from the violent gesticulations he
made, waving his arms wildly and hopping about as if he were a parched
pea on a griddle; for, of course, we could not make out his gibberish
though he squealed and grunted at us at a fine rate!
"I suppose he means us to get out," said Ned Anstruther, glad to be able
to use his tongue again; "but I can't, I'm so cramped."
"Nor can I, old fellow," I rejoined. "I'm as stiff as a boiled lobster
and couldn't move to salute the admiral if he came along."
"I wish to goodness he would," cried Ned. "Ay, and with a file of
marines at his back, too. Wouldn't I like to shoot this treacherous old
scoundrel, ay, or string him up to the top of that pagoda there!"
"So would I too, Ned," I replied heartily. "But, I don't think the
yellow rascal means us any harm; at all events, not at present, old
fellow. See, he's actually getting us something to eat, I think."
"Some nasty mess or other, no doubt," growled Ned, chafing one of his
legs and then stretching it out. "By Jove, though, I'm beginning to get
some life in my limbs again, but these blessed cords they tied us with
stopped my circulation. Here goes!"
So saying, he made an attempt to scramble up, and the old fellow, who
had approached us with a big bowl of rice in both hands, put this down
on the ground and gave my companion a lift, afterwards extending the
same courtesy to myself.
We then stretched our cramped legs a bit; and, presently, sat down on
the outside of our bamboo cages, instead of inside them, being
comparatively free.
But, from the way in which the bearers who had carried us, and some
other fellows with bows and arrows and broad-bladed knives in their
belts, closed round us at the word of command from "yellow hat," we
would have fared ill had we attempted just then to give him and his
retainers "leg-bail."
We saw this at a glance; so, making the best of a bad business, we
commenced pegging into the rice the old fellow now handed us, which we
did not find at all bad eating.
It was very well cooked, and besides had a bit of salt fish of some sort
on the top of the bowl, which we smelt at intervals, being too small to
bite, so as to make the main contents of the dish more appetising.
"Not bad," commented Ned, after taking a preliminary mouthful of it for
a taste, delving out the rice with his fingers, no spoon or fork being
provided, and the chopsticks _a la Chinoise_ furnished with the bowl
being useless to us from our not being accustomed to their proper
manipulation. "Better served up, too, than we ever got on board!"
"Yes; I've tasted worse," said I. "They've cut us rather short with the
fish, though, Ned. I think they might have served out enough for a
fellow to put his teeth through."
"Perhaps the old chap can't afford it, you know, Jack; and yet, he
doesn't look badly off. That hat of his would fetch something in an old
curio shop, and so would his breeches too. By Jove, they're big and
baggy enough for a Dutchman twice his size."
At this we both laughed, whereupon the old chap, thinking we did so in
high appreciation of his viands, smiled and nodded, patting his fat
stomach and saying in his guttural tones, "Bono, Johnny, goot--goot!"
"By Jove!" exclaimed Ned, quite startled. "You speak English?"
"Mi one piecee can do," replied the other, with a broader smile that
made him look quite venerable, the deceitful old wretch! "No goodee
number one chop!"
"Oh, you can speak it well enough," replied Ned, as our friend said this
in "Pijin English," implying that although he could manage a little of
our language he was not a first-rater at it. "What wantchee can do, my
one two?"
Ned pointed at the same time towards me, and then indicated himself,
requesting in this idiotic jargon to be informed of our fate.
"Yellow hat's" reply was not of a reassuring character, although he
uttered no word. What he did was, to draw the forefinger of his dirty
hand across his throat in the most unpleasant manner.
Ned shuddered at this; and, I confess, so did I. Seeing the effect his
gesture had produced, the old chap, smiling affably, proceeded to
justify the extreme course he had suggested.
"Yang-kei-tze catchee one Chinaman, one piecee shootee chop chop," he
argued, on the retaliatory principle, which, of course, held good in
war, although no comfort to us at the moment. "Chinaman one piecee
catchee Yang-kei-tze, mi takee Pekin."
"And what will be done with us there?" The old scoundrel answered this
question in the same mode as before; his action being if possible even
more expressive.
"I say, Ned, show him a dollar or two," I said, not liking his humbly
suggestive way of stating that we were going to be taken to Pekin and
there beheaded--at least that was what I gathered from the conversation.
"Perhaps he'll be open to silver reason if we argue on the other side
of the question?"
Ned pulled a handful of money out of his pocket, at the sight of which
the old chap's little eyes glistened and he smiled more genially; but,
he shook his head.
"No one piecee take can do," he said sorrowfully, as if it went to his
heart to refuse it. "Talkee, talkee no bono, mi takee Pekin chop chop,
Yang-kei-tze catchee one piecee by by."
He then turned away to give some order to the men, and Ned seized the
opportunity of his being out of earshot to speak to me.
"I think he's open to argument, Jack," he said encouragingly, seeing I
looked rather glum at the prospect before us now, although I had been so
light-hearted before, not thinking things were going to turn out so
badly as they now appeared. "The old chap, as you can see for yourself,
with all those soldiers about him, must keep up his reputation as a
bloodthirsty foe to all foreigners; or else, he'd lose his billet as a
mandarin and have that rum old tile of his taken from him! But, he
tipped me a wink, Jack; didn't you see him? That means business, and
tells me as plain as a pikestaff that he's open to be bribed to get us
off by-and-by, although he is forced to take us first to Pekin. They
want as many of us as they can catch, you know, to show to their blessed
emperor as a proof of their having licked us again, and `wiped out' all
the red devils--that's what Yangkei-tze, means, `red devils,' though it
sounds very like Yankee! Ain't that so, old chappie, and don't you
agree?"
He jingled the money which he still held in his hand, addressing his
last remark to our friend "yellow hat," who had approached us again
after conferring with his men; and, catching the sound, he nodded his
head and gave Ned a perceptible wink, as if he thoroughly understood
what he had said, and would be our friend--for a consideration!
The bearers then coming up, the old chap motioned us to take our places
in the bamboo cages, although he did not offer to gag or bind us again;
when, on our being seated, our travelling prisons were raised to the
men's shoulders and we resumed our journey.